


Footsteps

by kristsune



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, especially if they are in trouble, horror fic, is it a double? is it a monster? the world may never know, rabble being cut off from those he loves is basically his worst nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 07:44:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristsune/pseuds/kristsune
Summary: Rabble hears footsteps that sound all too familiar in the wrong way.





	Footsteps

**Author's Note:**

> This is all thanks to this [post](https://kristsune.tumblr.com/post/172711426874/thismachineplaysme-showerthoughtsofficial-you) and encouragement from [Jesse.](http://thebisexualmandalorian.tumblr.com/) I hope it works like I wanted it to  
> Loudmouth belongs to Jesse

Rabble opened his eyes, woken up by something he couldn’t immediately recognize. After another moment he realized there were footsteps coming down the hall. He smiled to himself, the others must be back. He took a moment to listen closer to see who he was going to walk in  first.

Rabble knit his forehead, the gait was too short, too light. Mischief was light on his feet, but his stride was longer. Ruckus almost always dragged his heels, and Loudmouth was a bit heavier on his feet. He knew them all by heart, and this wasn’t any of them.

He turned his head just enough to see who it was. Rabble couldn’t believe who he saw. It was _him_ . His messy hair, his shorter stature, his tattoo behind his left ear. _He_ just walked into the room like there was nothing wrong with that.

Rabble was frozen in place, he couldn’t move, couldn’t _breathe_ . He heard more footsteps coming down the hallway. It was the others, he could hear each of them, Mischief, Ruckus and Loudmouth were almost here and they had no idea. He wanted to warn them, to scream _that isn’t me_ , but his voice was stuck in his throat.

The three of them came into the room, and Not Rabble laughed and ran over to them just like he would have himself. They didn’t notice. They didn’t realize it wasn’t him. They all laughed and talked and touched like that _thing_ was him.  No one looked up at the him, no one even realized he was there. He tried to move, make a sound, _anything_ , but he couldn’t; it was like something about the double being there had rooted him to the spot.  

Loudmouth suggested they all go get some food, they agreed. Not Rabble was last out of the room. Just before it left, it looked directly at Rabble and smiled. It was sharp and all _wrong_. It made his heart clench in his chest, worried what it was going to do to the others. There was nothing he could do.

As soon as it left the room, it was like all of his muscles were finally released, he could move again. He jumped down off the bunk and ran headlong after the others. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he had to do _something_. He turned the corner and slammed into Loudmouth.

“Hey, easy. You okay? How did you even gather that much speed? You were right behind me.”

Rabble didn’t bother answering,  just frantically looked around, trying to find the double. It was nowhere in sight.

“Rab’ika,” Mischief knelt down, and gently grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to stop and look at him. He sounded so concerned, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Rabble’s heart was still racing, but he tried to take a deep breath anyway, “Nothing. Nothing is wrong. I - thought I was further behind.”

He could tell none of them believed him, he always had been a horrible liar, but they let it pass. “Come on, let’s go get some food before they run out of the good stuff.” Ruckus teased, trying to lighten the mood. 

Rabble willed his heart to slow, “Yeah- let’s.” 

They started walking again, Rabble took one more look behind him, where he thought he saw a flash of movement. But there was nothing there.

Maybe there never was. Maybe it was his overactive imagination, maybe it was a vivid dream. 

Rabble shivered as he remembered that sharp, too familiar smile, and hoped that was true.


End file.
